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Syracuse Crunch forward Brett Connolly trying to fight his way out of a traffic jam of talent

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Syracuse Crunch forward Brett Connolly shows the lunch pail effort toward making plays that Tampa Bay wants to see as he grinds behind the net against Hamilton on Saturday in the War Memorial.
(Scott Schild | SSchild@syracuse.com)

Syracuse Crunch forward Brett Connolly knows the clock started ticking three years ago, and its echo is only growing louder.

Connolly was taken by the Tampa Bay Lightning No. 6 overall in the 2010 draft, and while his two pro seasons since then can be considered a success by some definitions they still haven't earned him a full-time spot in the NHL.

And look, he's already 21. What's taking him so long to make an impact with the Lightning? Fair or not, he knows that assessment is one that applies to him until his tosses it off his back.

"That's expected of me. I know that,'' he said of the pressure to produce. "Where I got drafted, it puts a lot of expectations. You've got to come here every day and be good. It's as simple as that.''

Connolly spoke in the Crunch's locker room Saturday night after the team's 3-0 loss to Hamilton. It was the same room he shared with J.T. Brown, Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson and Richard Panik last year. Yet all those young forwards are pushing hard for full-time NHL status, while Connolly was sent back down to Syracuse earlier Saturday.

Against the Bulldogs, Connolly skated on a line with Nikita Kucherov, the AHL's leading rookie scorer. Sunday, when the Lightning needed some re-enforcements, they tapped Kucherov for the job.

And you can't yet even factor in the promise of forward Jonathan Drouin, the Lightning's No. 3 overall pick in 2013 who has a tidy 46 points in 19 games for Halifax of the QMJHL this season.

"I'm worried about my game right now and getting back on track. Doing the little things consistently,'' Connolly said when asked for his big-picture competition for playing time in Tampa Bay.

Connolly broke in with the Lightning in 2011-12, playing 68 games in mostly a supporting role. Tampa Bay wanted him to spend a full season helping to carry an offense, and he responded with 31 goals, 32 assists and second-team all-AHL status with the Crunch last season.

Despite a strong training camp, Connolly was sent down to Syracuse at the start of this season. He is goal-less in seven games with the Crunch and has one goal in 11 with Tampa Bay.

"We want him to be more involved in the play,'' said Tampa Bay assistant general manager Julien BriseBois. "He needs to move his feet, be more involved in the play. If you don't have the puck, you have to work hard to get it back. If you do have the puck, you have to work hard to make plays.''

Connolly understands the standards used to judge someone who has as much potential as him.

"Once you get out there it's all about production. It's all about helping the team win. And doing things you know you can do,'' he said. "Not consistently, I wasn't doing it. That's why I'm here (in Syracuse).

"(It's) just getting back to making the plays. Having fun. Playing hockey I know last year was so much fun. You got to go out there and have fun and enjoy it. I'm having fun. It's just you got to get back to when you were scoring you were making making, plays, doing the right things. You've just got to get back to doing that. Help the team win down here. Just keep grinding.''

When you're picked as high as Connolly was, sometimes there's a little extra pressure to carry as you slog along. And that's fine by him.

"If was going to look back to when I got drafted, it's not going to be easy,'' he said "I knew that.''